The Moncler case, Centrocot and testing on synthetic duvets

What can we say about Moncler duvets? They do not allow perspiration as much, and are only slightly warmer than duvets that contain synthetic down. This is what is claimed by the Italian Anti-Vivisection League (LAV), who had three different garments tested by the authoritative Centrocot, in Busto Arsizio (see photo, on the left), the cotton textile centre which carries out testing on garments, at an international level, and is the only institute in Italy authorised to issue the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 label. After the programme “Report”, which was broadcast last Sunday, a debate arose over the use of goose down to pad the famous sports jackets that symbolised the 1980s, which have made a comeback thanks to the businessman Remo Ruffini, who bought the brand.

We should immediately point out that the testing was done on the request of the LAV for reasons that have nothing to do with the aims of the research centre in Busto, which is a third party. The director, Grazia Cerini, pointed out that, “The finished products were tested exclusively on the basis of two parameters, which we were asked to test, and our centre has nothing to do with the conclusions reached by the LAV. In fact, among the products we’ve given the OEKO-TEX label to, there are also garments padded with real down.”

On industrial farms with 5000 to 10,000 geese bred especially for the production of down, the birds are plucked live, which causes atrocious suffering which is repeated several times until the animals die or are no longer able to produce “quality” feathers. This is one of the arguments at the heart of the enquiry “Siamo tutti oche” (We are all geese), by Sabrina Giannini.

The television enquiry focused on farms in Romania, Hungary and Moldavia, all countries where feathers are obtained by well-known Italian luxury names that are proud to offer their clients products with “real down”. The question that the LAV set out to answer, in unsuspecting times (in March of this year, ed.), was “Is real down really synonymous with good quality”? “Report” demonstrated that the Italian fashion houses do not always use the best quality down for their garments, but apart from the quality of the down (which varies according to the level of maturity of the plumage), are there products that can provide the same level of comfort? The LAV commissioned comfort tests, which compared a Moncler product padded with real down, with two products made with alternative materials (The North Face and Save the Duck).

The tests, which were carried out at the Centrocot, in Busto Arsizio, measured the performance on the basis of two variables, “thermal resistance” (how well the products retain heat) and “evaporative resistance” (how much they allow perspiration). The results have shown that the two products made with a synthetic material (polyester) allow perspiration more than real down, and are only slightly less “warm”.

“So, apart from being an ethically unacceptable product, because it produces great animal suffering, the duvet can’t even be defended in terms of performance,” said Simone Pavesi, on behalf of the LAV. “For this reason, and in light of the evidence presented on the programme on RAI3, we’ve requested a meeting with Moncler, to discuss the alternative commercial choices to those that exploit animals.”

“It’s a coincidence that our tests were carried out on a garment made by Moncler, which, together with other names, was mentioned during the enquiry on ‘Report’, but these results strengthen our request,” Pavesi added. “Indeed, the products were examined in March of this year, long before ‘Report’ did their enquiry, and the tests were carried out at the Centrocot Laboratory (Centro Tessile e Cotoniero), in Busto Arsizio, the first laboratory in Italy to provide a service aimed at assessing the level of comfort provided by a fabric.”